SAN DIEGO –– In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8, San Diego Coastkeeper unveils their 2022 Marine Debris Report in collaboration with Surfrider Foundation San Diego. In 2022, Coastkeeper and Surfrider rallied an inspiring 4,028 volunteers who removed 8,734 pounds of trash from our precious shores and inland waterways. To commemorate this achievement, Coastkeeper and Surfrider invite San Diegans to celebrate the program’s success by participating in beach cleanups organized on World Oceans Day.
Since 2007, our collaborative beach cleanup program has removed over 127,977 pounds of debris from our local beaches and waterways. In 2022, we collected 112,954 individual pieces of trash across 208 different cleanup events. Among the most common culprits were cigarette butts, EPS foam (a.k.a. Styrofoam) fragments, microplastics, and ubiquitous single-use plastics like food wrappers, bags, bottle caps, and straws. A comprehensive breakdown of our cleanups, including detailed information and statistics, is in the 2022 Marine Debris Report.
Coastkeeper and Surfrider will host cleanup events at La Jolla Shores and South Mission Beach from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, in honor of World Oceans Day and the release of the 2022 data report. Additionally, Coastkeeper and Surfrider host monthly cleanups throughout the year. Participants should bring their own bag, bucket, and work gloves if they have them, but Coastkeeper will also have supplies to borrow. For additional cleanup dates and more information, visit sdcoastkeeper.org/events.
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About San Diego Coastkeeper
Founded in 1995, San Diego Coastkeeper protects and restores San Diego County’s bays, beaches, watersheds, and ocean for the people and wildlife that depend on them. Coastkeeper balances community outreach, education, science, and advocacy to promote clean water stewardship and a healthy coastal ecosystem. For more information, visit sdcoastkeeper.org.
